Acme Packing Company: FanPosts

Tex's Friday Preview - Niners

2009-11-20T20:59:34Z

Since I spent the entire Packers-Cowboys game last Sunday schmoozing with bigwigs in my chosen profession and attempting to get a job, I had to rely on a friend's BlackBerry to give me periodic updates on the score (whenever he was getting service in that Faraday Cage of a hotel). Needless to say, I startled a few people with my exclamations of joy when seeing the score go from 3-0 to 10-0 and then 17-0.

But enough about that game. It's time for the 49ers. Here are three people or units I will be keeping my eye on this Sunday, as I again get to watch the game from the comfort of my own home (while catching up on my homework).

1. Niners defense (aka Patrick Willis and friends)

Willis might be the best linebacker in the NFL. Every time I get a chance to watch him, I am more impressed by his tenacity and ability. The rest of the defense, frankly, doesn't blow me away. There are a few solid, established veterans like Dre Bly, Nate Clements, and Takeo Spikes, but all in all, I'm not overly impressed by this unit. I'm sure Mike Singletary sets his defense up to flow through Willis, as he should.

2. Michael Crabtree

That catch he made last year against Texas cemented him in college football lore, but he has some work to do after his long holdout to prove that he's a superstar in the NFL. So far, he's been averaging around 50 yards per game, but his size and speed give him an advantage over most NFL corners. I shudder to think of a Crabtree-Vernon Davis tandem a few years from now, especially if they can find a solid franchise QB.

3. The University of Wisconsin Marching Band

The band makes its only road trip of the year to Lambeau Field this year. If you're going to the game, enjoy their second-to-last performance of the year (the Badgers' bowl game being the last). Enjoy Mike Leckrone's (the band director) boundless energy at 150-something years old. And finally, enjoy that these colleagues of mine (and friends and drinking buddies and roommates and so on) from Madison work their tails off to entertain you. I can only hope that they broadcast the show on FOX...even though I know they won't.

Enjoy this sight on the tundra on Sunday!

via farm3.static.flickr.com (Thanks to Flickr user DirectoryMaster)

A Quick Update on my Goings-On

2009-11-19T13:12:14Z

I know this is a Packer site, and non-football news is generally discouraged. But since the volume of e-mails I've received regarding my absence is generally along the lines of "where the hell did you go?" I'll get you guys up to speed.

I work in the shipping industry. I'm a manager at a massive hub facility for an international shipping company (I won't say which, mainly because I'm not a fan of the company). Because the holidays are looming, we are in the midst of what is called "peak season".

Peak season, for salaried employees, is hell. I am literally working 70+ hours a week, and those hours are all overnights. Here's my typical schedule:

10:00 PM - Arrive at work
10PM-10AM - Work ass off
10-10:30 - Paperwork/nodding off in office chair
10:30 - Go home/nearly crash into oncoming traffic
11:00 - Collapse in heap on floor
11:07 - Get up, collapse in heap on bed
5:00 PM (if I'm lucky) - Wake up
5-9:30 - eat, run errands, read e-mails, work out, spend time with significant other
9:30-10 - Reflect on where I went wrong while driving

Needless to say, that 4.5 hour block doesn't leave me a lot of time to put into writing. Any articles I published then would be even bigger sacks of crap than my regular ones. And I take pride in my crap-sacks; they deserve all the time they need to get as verbose and frivolous as possible.

The good news is that this is a short-term deal (mid-December), so I should hopefully make a triumphant return around that time. Until then, bear with me, readers. And keep the "good riddance!" e-mails to a minimum; my psyche can't handle that kind of rejection.

OT: Bills fire Dick Jauron

2009-11-18T06:48:54Z

The Buffalo Bills have fired Dick Jauron after a 3-6 start, just after being routed by the previously weak Tennessee Titans.

Link.

I can imagine that the Bills have not lived up to their own expectations. With the addition of Terrell Owens, and Trent Edwards, their offense was supposed to carry the team.

Instead, Jauron becomes the first coach dismissed during this NFL season. He 24-33 as a Buffalo Bills coach.

Buffalo's new coach will be Perry Fewell, who has never coached at all. He was previously Buffalo's defensive coordinator.

Any ideas as to what Jauron will do now? Also, any ideas as to which other coaches are on the hot seat and could be fired within the next few weeks?

Rooting Guide: 11/15

2009-11-15T14:41:28Z

I am pleased to present you with the first installment of this weekly feature, which will take a look at the Packers (fading) playoff hopes, and who you should root for to make the postseason more likely.

This week, the Packers come into a crucial game with the Cowboys at home on a 2-game loosing streak (and with a 4-4 overall record), with painful losses to the Vikings and Buccaneers. Their wins have been against the woeful Bears, Browns, Lions and Rams. It doesn't look good.

As far as their playoff hopes, here's the NFC Wild Card standings as of now (top 2 finishers get into playoffs):

1. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)

2. Atlanta Falcons (5-3)

3. NY Giants (5-4)

4. Green Bay Packers (4-4)

Also Rans: Chicago Bears (4-5), San Francisco 49'ers (4-5), Carolina Panthers (3-5), Seattle Seahawks (3-5).

Really, not too bad. They are one game off the lead, with a few bad/OK teams lurking behind them. I'm just assuming the division is out of hand, given the Vikings are 7-1 and we have no games left with them.

Now, here's what Packers fans want to have happen this weekend.

1. The Cardinals are playing the Seahawks (3 pm. Central). Root for the Cards. An Arizona win would put them into a secure division lead, (they'd be 6-3, the Seahawks would be 3-6), whereas a loss would muddle the NFC West picture (the Cards would be 5-4, the Seahawks would be 4-5). It would be nice to have a clear winner out west, and have the Seahawks, a bad team who are lurking, done away with.

2. The San Diego Chargers are playing the Philadelphia Eagles (3 pm. Central). Root for the Chargers. In fact, this one is pretty easy. Any time an AFC team is playing an NFC team, always root for the AFC team (a win in the AFC does not effect the Packers at all). This would make Philly 5-4, bringing them down to the same hypothetical record as the Packers after a win over Dallas this weekend, which brings me to my next point...

3. Root for Green Bay. Duh.

4. Carolina is playing Atlanta (12 pm. Central). Root for the Panthers. A Carolina win would also bring the 5-3 Falcons down a notch to the Packers level, and although it would boost the Panthers to a 4-5 lurking status, having the current leader brought down a peg is always a good thing.

The 5-4 NY Giants have a bye this week.

So, if all these these things happen they way they should this weekend: here's your NFC wild card race:

1. Falcons (5-4)

1. Eagles (5-4)

1. Packers (5-4)

1. Giants (5-4)

(49'ers, Bears, Panthers lurking @ 4-5)

That looks pretty darn good. A four-way tie, and two relatively easy games for the Pack in the next two weeks (49'ers, Lions).

Of course, it's completely irrational to suspect things will work out this perfectly, as the Falcons, Eagles and Cowboys are all favored to win.

Here's to hoping.

Tex's Friday Preview - Cowboys

2009-11-13T16:30:34Z

I was having a terrific few days last weekend. I saw the Badger men's hockey team split with rival Minnesota, the football team squeak out a close win over Indiana, and I made the entire Badger women's hockey team crack up in laughter with my mockery of Gopher fans at a bar Saturday night. And then Sunday came, and my great weekend came crashing down.
But enough about last week. It's time to preview this week's game, which I will not be watching because I'll be arriving in DC for a conference. And frankly, with the frustration of the past few weeks and the repeated mistakes, I've decided that if I miss one game all season, I'm totally fine with it being this one. Now, on to previews for the Dallas game. Since I'm missing the game, here are things that I'll be looking for in the box score and live threads when I peruse them afterwards.
1. DeMarcus Ware's stats Ware is the key to that defense. When he is pressuring the quarterback, good things happen for the Cowboys. Ware's "only" on pace for ten sacks this year, which would give him his lowest total since his rookie year in 2005. Going up against the Packers' offensive line is a perfect opportunity for Ware to improve those sack totals. Personally, I think Ware is a more frightening pass-rusher than Jared Allen, and since he's an OLB in the Cowboys' 3-4, he'll be coming from all angles, challenging each of the Packers' weak links up front. If Ware can't be contained, Rodgers might not make it through this game in one piece.

2. Green Bay RBs' performance This is more a reflection of how I will judge Mike McCarthy's playcalling. If the backs carry the ball less than 20 times, something is wrong. Running the ball is an easy way to make sure that Aaron Rodgers doesn't get hit on a given play, and obviously sets up the play action. The other problem, though, will be if the backs get around 30 carries, but are obviously ineffective (i.e. averaging 3 yards per carry). Again, I'm not sure what's going to happen given the flow of the game, but I think those rushing stats will tell a lot of the story about the way McCarthy is handling the game.
3. Turnovers Read: Charles Woodson For Green Bay to win this game, the defense will need to force Tony Romo to have one of his implosions. Romo committed at least one turnover in 12 of his 13 starts last season, and two or more in six of those games. I'm confident that if the Packers' pass rush functions and can get to Romo, he'll cough up at least one fumble and make a few poor decisions with the football. I just pray that Woodson et al will be able to capitalize on them and give the offense good field position (or just put it in the end zone on their own, which would be even better).
That's all for this week. I hope to see highlights from a big Packers win on SportsCenter before I hit the hay Sunday night in our nation's capital.

Position Coaches

2009-11-10T03:51:35Z

We don't have the opportunity to see what a position coach does on a daily basis. As fans we have a limited vision in any attempt to evaluate a position coach. At the same time, there are some criteria that can be used to at least get some sort of idea.

One, the position coach needs to be evaluated by the performance of the entire group at the position. A phenomenal player is a phenomenal player, and certainly not necessarily the product of a good coach. A lousy performance by one player may also be just that, rather than a reflection of poor coaching. Therefore the performance of the entire unit should be considered the standard for a position coach.

Two, I assume that there is communication between position coaches, coordinators, head coach and the GM concerning personnel. For example, if QB coach, Tom Clements, believes that after working with Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm, that they can play well enough so as not to warrant going out and looking for a veteran back-up, then he will communicate that to the coaches above him. Or, if he thinks that there is no way Flynn can really fill-in for Aaron Rodgers, it is his responsibility to communicate this to Joe Philbin and Mike McCarthy. The responsibility for the final decision belongs to McCarthy, who, of course, also evaluates players.

This means that in addition to unit performance, position coaches can be evaluated to some extent by personnel moves, or lack of personnel moves of players in their units.

This brings me to my real point. How are the position coaches doing? We certainly seem to be excelling in some units, and utterly failing in others. And these failures may be leading us to another sub-.500 year.

Jimmy Robinson (receiver coach), Ben McAdoo (tight ends) and Mike Trgovac (defensive line) get A's. These are the three units that excel the most.

Probably, Tom Clements (QB coach) deserves an A-. If Rodgers starts getting rid of the ball more quickly, that could move to an A.

It is hard to evaluate Joe Whitt Jr (cornerbacks), because he has been blessed with having top veteran talent at the position, so that it is difficult to know if the coaching makes much difference. A-

Winston Moss has also done an adequate job with inside linebackers, though better pass-rushing is needed. B

Kevin Greene (outside linebackers) gets barely a passing grade. Aaron Kampman has not adjusted well. Brady Poppinga has been a disappointment and Jeremy Thompson hasn't done much. It is from outside linebacker that most of the pass rush is designed to come in Caper's 3-4. C+

Edgar Bennett (running backs) is a good man and well-liked. He can be credited with helping Ryan Grant become a decent starting RB, rather than a journeyman. However, the running back position for the Packers is relatively weak. It seems that Jackson, Wynn and Lumpkin are not the answers for the #2 back. My impression has been that Bennett defends his guys, but perhaps he would have done better for the team, if he'd told McCarthy that we need to go out and get a quality back. Instead we bring Ahman Green back, and he could be our best back. C

Darren Perry (safeties) inherited a Pro Bowl free safety in Nick Collins and big hitter in Atari Bigby. The new defense was supposed to create more opportunities for safeties to make plays, instead the opposite seems to be true. Then we had the late cut of Antonio Smith, then the cut of Aaron Rouse after a few games. While these cuts can't be completely laid at Perry's feet, he certainly should have been fighting to keep the only back-ups who knew the defense. Instead we released two average safeties (though some reports had Smith doing very well) and picked a couple others who offered no real improvement. Poor safety play has resulted in some key touchdowns for the other team and possibly for one loss to Minnesota and one to Tampa Bay (Bush's poor coverage). D

James Campen (offensive line) heads the worst unit on the team. Thirty-seven sacks in 8 games?!?! A poor rushing attack! They tried to sneak Jamon Meredith on the practice squad and lost him, where he went to Buffalo, became a starter, and performed better than Allen Barbre. Then they kept Breno Giacomini as Barbre's back-up, and the coaches seem scared to even put him on the field. Why wasn't Campen in McCarthy's office everyday telling him that these 9 guys just don't have what it takes to be a good NFL line? Go get some linemen! F

Shawn Slocum's special teams have been a disaster. The offense consistently must play a long field, while the defense is defending a short field. The return units have been unfortunate, losing the top 3 returners to injury, Blackmon, Nelson and Swain. Slocum also inherited some chaos from some very poor personnel decisions last year: cutting Jon Ryan just before the season began (If he were still with the Pack, we might have won a couple more games over the past two years.) and cutting Tracy White, our best special teams player, to keep Danny Lansanah for a couple more months. It seems to indicate that McCarthy doesn't take special teams too seriously. But even with all those problems outside of his control, Slocum's unit still should be performing better. Given the problems not of his own doing, he gets a small benefit of the doubt. F+

With so many underperforming units, and difficult games remaining, I fear we are heading for another top 10 pick this year.

How Much More can we take?

2009-11-09T04:33:13Z

Unacceptable is too kind. Packers have got to clean house in the coaching department. They have got talent and they had talent (Favre) and they threw it out to the dumpster. They got talent on the field and they can not use it to their potential. I am sick of seeing the Packers win the home games and lose the away games to foes they should be putting away early. Packer Fans deserve better. Seeing the Vikings win both games this season with Favre in the purple and gold was a slap in the face.

Time for a Change?

2009-11-09T03:18:48Z

Mitchell kinda of hit on this at the end of his recap that McCarthy has to be on the hot seat. I only got to watch some much of todays game (the financee and me purchased a brand new flat screen tv!!), but what I took from today (as well as the rest of the season) that are a very undisplinced team. To many penalities at bad times (see Hawk, A.J.) or a ever mounting number of sacks (see all season long), that something has to change. I'm not sure if McCarthy is to stubborn to admit that the offensive line is a issue or find a way to correct it but Aaron Rodgers isn't going to make it through the season at this rate. (I do understand that there are times that Rodgers holds on to the ball to long, but there are times that he just has no time).

Sorry for the rant and I know that there is more you can hit on to argue either side but something has to give b/c like Mitchell said in his recap, todays loss is Unacceptable! I know that coaches sometimes get to much of the blame but i don't see where else this can go, we have the talent on the field but just can't take that next step. We are what our record says we are, 4-4! Discuss...

Poll

Is it time to make a change at head coach?

O-Line + D-Line = Recipe for disaster

2009-11-09T03:06:39Z

While I was watching the game today I paid very close attention to two very important things--pass protection by both the offensive line and Tight ends/running backs and how many times our defensive blitzes got home to the opposing QB. To no ones surprise, the Packers were anemic in both areas. Special teams is, well, not very special...I don't think that Slocum will make it through this week--I think he will be canned by mid-week.

Pass Protection: Donald Lee and Ryan Grant were horrendous today when asked to help out and pass protect. Our offensive line is atrocious by themselves, but you would think that when we give them two extra blockers they would at least hold the down the fort for 3 seconds of protection...um, no--not really. Rodgers again was guilty of holding the ball too long on a few occasions, but I would say that 4 of the 6 sacks were on the O-line.

Defensive Blitz Packages: I don't recall a single blitz that got home today by the Packers--not one. When you send the house you need to at least touch the QB. We wonder why we keep giving up big pass plays---how can we expect our corners to cover receivers for 7-plus seconds? Even Charles Woodson would give up big plays when an opposing QB has that much time to throw! TB was getting pressure all day rushing only 4--we couldn't sniff that Rookie QB with even 5 and 6 guys chasing after him!

The McCarthy and Thompson watch has officially started. I'm not one for calling for people's heads as continuity in coaching/GM personnel in the NFL is underrated (as long as leadership is competent that is), but this kind of loss gets people fired--plain and simple. It looks like a over-estimation of talent has combined with them believing their own hype of the preseason.

Oh, by the way...Ahman Green broke more tackles on one run today (3) than Ryan Grant has broken all season. He also become the Packers' all-time leading rusher. This was really the lone bright spot of the day :)

Just had to share

2009-11-07T02:12:37Z

I'm not too sure how many people here read Bill Simmons' column on ESPN, but I do. He's funny, and he normally seems like he has his head on straight. He's a much bigger Basketball guy than a Football guy, but he still cranks out columns giving the gambling lines on teams during the football season. For those of you who don't read him, here's what he had to say about the Pack vs Bucs game.

Packers (-9.5) over BUCS
Mayday! Mayday! The Josh Freeman 2009 White Flag has been thrown. By the way, Aaron Rodgers is this year's Great Game Against A Bad Team MVP. His stats have no correlation with his actual effectiveness. Even Al Bundy didn't hold his balls this long.

That last line killed me. If you're interested in more of his columns, I recommend looking up the Vengeance Scale. It should be required reading for just about everyone.

Finally, Go! Pack! Go!

...

What? I picked them in my survivor pool this week. Don't look at me like that.

Tex's Friday Preview - Tampa

2009-11-06T16:16:33Z

So...I kind of dropped the ball last week. Midterms caught up with me, and a big Halloween weekend in Madison (including two great Badger Hockey games and that 37-0 shellacking of Purdue) left me with no time on Friday to write a preview for that depressing game last week. But maybe it was for the best. That game was analyzed to death beforehand, and I don't know that I would have come up with anything new that would have been insightful or interesting anyway. In any case, I just wrapped up my one midterm for this week, and since there's none of the holiday craziness in the People's Republic of Madison this weekend, I can actually take a little time off to write up a preview.

The Packers have been fairly predictable this year. They beat the bad teams soundly (STL, DET, CLE) and lose to the very good teams (CIN, MIN). If that trend holds up, the Pack should beat Tampa by double digits this weekend. That said, here are a few things to watch.

1. The Offensive Line (big shocker here)

This is a perfect opportunity to rebound after the line was beaten like a drum by Jared Allen et al. A struggling Buccaneers defense without Monte Kiffin is exactly what the Packers' big uglies want to see to get some confidence back. When I look at your roster and the most recognizable names on the defensive line are Chris Hovan and Michael Bennett, I feel pretty good about going up against your defense. (And I only recognize the name Michael Bennett because he shares a name with a former badger running back).

2. Spencer Havner

This guy is quickly becoming one of my favorite players to watch, mainly because he is EVERYWHERE. I must digress here. In my fantasy league with Mitchell, one of our best friends from high school decided on Tuesday after the Browns game that he wanted to pick up Havner because his top TE was on a bye and his 2nd option, Jermichael Finley, just suffered his injury. The problem was, he wasn't even eligible as a TE yet on ESPN's fantasy service. We all laughed him off, and let him play a man down with an empty TE spot and I, as the commish, promised to add him if/when ESPN updated their rosters or give him credit for whatever points he did accrue. Little did we know that Havner would catch those two TDs against the Vikes and make our friend look like a freakin' genius. Anyway, back to my point. I'll be curious to see if Havner is still as involved in the offense as he's been the last two weeks. Plus, I love watching him cover kicks.

3. Linebacker issues

With the loss of Brandon Chillar, someone (I'm looking at you, A.J. Hawk) will need to step up and play well against the run this Sunday. Hawk showed flashes of his potential against a lesser team in Cleveland. Can he do it again in Tampa? I hope so. Then again, he vanished against Minnesota, proving that the Browns can literally make anyone look good on the right day. Hopefully Hawk will earn some extra confidence this week in the same way the O-line does.

Now I'm off to my last class of the day before Badger women's and men's hockey games at 2 and 7 respectively. As always, GO PACK GO!

Packer fans..check out a Video History of your team VS Bucs in Orange

2009-11-06T12:40:48Z

First of all I want to compliment you guys on a nice site! I will be on the field for pregame in this game and am very excited just to see the Green and Orange again!

For those of you Packer fans that remember the old days, I have done a video with highlights of a game from every year of the Bucs in Orange playing the Packers. The memories are plentiful..

(http://www.bucem.com/2009/11/6/1118516/throwback-memories-a-video-history)

Howard Cosells last game ever was Green Bay at Tampa Bay

Brett Favre's first completion was in Tampa vs Bucs

Packers clinch 96 playoffs in Tampa

and there are many more including Jacke's amazing last second FG in 89, Iguebuike and Husted's last second FG to beat you guys in 88 and 95 respectively, and the famous Snow Bowl where you could hardly see the Bucs in a field of Snow!

You can see all these clips and more in my movie, you are welcome to come over to Buc'em and check it out! I'll let the guys know your coming over!! Feel free to leave your comments too!!

Enjoy the Movie, and the game!

LINK TO VIDEO POST:

http://www.bucem.com/2009/11/6/1118516/throwback-memories-a-video-history

Please protect Aaron Rodgers.

2009-11-05T15:19:04Z

Is Aaron Rodgers the right man for the pack? I say hell yes. Funny that it took a Vikings reporter to lay it out so well.

Article here

It is easy to forget although he has been around several years, he is only 1/2 way through his second season as a starter. He is leading the league in sacks taken, and also in passer rating. He is amongst the leaders in most passing stats and has kept turnovers to a minimum. Yes, some of the sacks are on him to avoid, but that sort of production deserves some big kudos. I'm willing to cut him a break with all the production he has put up.

I am very concerned with the beating Rodgers is taking. He has injuries on both feet now? If this sack rate continues, odds are he doesn't make 16 starts this season. The single most frustrating thing for me this season has been the lack of progress in QB protection.

The O-line is in flux with injuries and that is a big part of the problem. Lack of depth, experience, and talent are combining to make this a tough egg to crack. On this site, I see posts every week calling for more slants, draws, screens, bootlegs, etc. Basically, all the classic tools used to slow down the pass rush. If memory serves, Green's reception last week was a screen. Beyond that, I have seen very little adjustment made in the scheme to address the problem. I have heard discussed TT does not like screens, but can't more be done?

I would like to see Rodgers pull the ball down and run a little more often. He has good wheels and can get yards in chunks. If he shows a willingness to do this more frequently, it will give opposing D's something else to prepare for, help him avoid sacks by getting out of the pocket before it collapses, and provide another way to gain some 1st downs.

It is funny that the sports coverage in Chicago is bemoaning the fact there wunderkind QB is getting hit too much and jeopardizing his future. He has taken 16 sacks. Protecting our QB must be the #1 priority. Is the GB press hitting this topic hard?

Many of these ideas have been previously brought up, but wanted to put them in one spot for discussion. I feel the health of our QB is far and away the main concern for the rest of the season and am frustrated by what I perceive to be a lack of progress.

Status of The Packers Post Week 8

2009-11-04T19:50:26Z

Week 8's loss to the Vikings has left many of us Packers fans in shambles but the outlook for the rest of the season is not so bleak. As it stands right now, if the playoffs were to start today, the Packers would be on the outside looking in but that does not mean that we don't control our own destiny due to our second half schedule. By dissecting the first 8 weeks of the season and breaking down the team by positions hopefully we can clearly the muddy waters that has been the Packers season thus far.

Offense

Quarterback

We all understand that Aaron Rodgers is an upper echelon quarterback but the way he has been playing is not only dictated by the position he is in. It doesn't matter if you put Rodgers behind the NFC's Pro Bowl offensive line, he just isn't giving himself a chance to be successful. His stats show that he is clearly having a great season but numbers only go so far without game film. Aaron is holding onto the ball for too long, this could mean one of two things, either Mike McCarthy is calling a bad game because his routes are taking too much time to develop against talented pass rushers like Jared Allen, or Aaron Rodgers is not going through his progressions properly. Against a team like the Vikings, who in my opinion have the best defensive line in football, he has to understand that his progressions have to be quicker and he has to be able to check down or throw away the ball before being hit. On the lighter side of this, Rodgers has displayed his athletic side as he stands second in rushing on the Packers. Obviously the sacks are not all his fault, (the offensive line will be addressed later) but to take that next step in his progression towards becoming an elite quarterback, he has to start to understand the game on a level that only elite quarterbacks can.

Wide Receiver

As usual, WR is a strong point of the Packers but the production is coming from different sources then the past few years. Most experts predicted that Greg Jennings would be the focus of the offence, thus moving him into the realm of top receivers in the NFL, surprising to most, Jennings is off to a slow start. The bulk of the receiving load has been carried by steady veteran Donald Driver, who leads the Packers in almost all receiving categories. The signs coming from Driver are very positive as some experts predicted his eventual demise due to age. The third and fourth receiver spots are nearly interchangeable with James Jones and Jordy Nelson playing key parts in 3 and 4 receiver sets. Unfortunately for Nelson, he has been sidelined for a significant portion of time and was unable to contribute, leaving the door open for James Jones who has been alright but nothing spectacular. The 5th receiver spot has been left vacant after the season ending injury to Brett Swain. The receivers should continue to be solid throughout the year but for the Packers to dominate like they did in the preseason, they are going to need Greg Jennings to return to his deep threat form.

Running Backs

The primary runner for the Packers over the past three seasons has been Ryan Grant and it has become painfully obvious that he probably will not return back to 2007 breakout form. To the dismay of many, the Packers seem to be one of the only teams in the NFL to not deploy a running back by comity system, essentially because Ryan Grant is the only NFL starting caliber running back on the Packers roster. The addition of Ahman Green and the success of Brandon Jackson on third down is nice but the Packers need a second option to run the ball with consistency. Obviously this saviour back is not going to come out of nowhere midseason (Samkon Gado and 2007 Ryan Grant happen to disagree) but for the Packers to have success in the future, they must improve at this position. As for the rest of the season, lets keep our collective fingers crossed that Ryan Grant stays healthy and keeps up his average performances.

Offensive Line

The Packers offensive line has been exactly that, downright offensive. With different combinations seemingly each week, fans are subject to the horror of watching the oppositions best pass rusher, (Jared Allen, Antwan Odom, Adewale Ogunleye) bear down on the future of the Packers franchise. This constant barrage of sacks seems to be getting to Aaron Rodgers and beyond staying healthy, he has to stay confident for us to win. Its not to say that Mike McCarthy hasn't been trying though, LT Chad Clifton and C Jason Spitz have been injured for multiple games thus throwing rookie T.J Lang and former starter Scott Wells into the fire, or forcing McCarthy to move LG Daryn Colledge to LT thus moving Spitz to LG. Despite the attempted quick fixes, the Packer had nearly zero success in the trenches thus far. On that note, a life raft is heading our way with the return of Chad Clifton and the eventual return of Mark Tauscher, recently resigned off the free agent wire. Putting T.J Lang and Allen Babre back on the bench can hopefully help stop the bleeding because if these problems aren't fixed, the Packers will sink faster then the titanic.

Tight Ends

Jermichael Finley has finally started to produce with some consistency, unfortunately he is sidelined with an injury, allowing Donald Lee to step back into the role as the primary receiving threat from the tight end position. The surprise of the season has been the recent effectiveness of Special Team/Linebacker/Tight End Spencer Havner in the red zone. Havner has three touchdowns in two games and him and Rodgers seem to be on the same page. With the eventual return of Finley and the emergence of Havner, the Packers look fine at the tight end position.

Full Back

The Packers enjoy running out of the full house back field allowing them to use two full backs, Korey Hall and John Kuhn, but that has not been the case this season. With Korey Hall down with an injury, the Packers have changed there approach allowing John Kuhn to be the goal line back and letting rookie Quinn Johnson take over the majority of blocking duties. To an extent this has been successful and it seems the Packers will deploy these looks for the remainder of the season.

Defense

Defensive Line

The success of the defensive line has, and will continue to be, a very big factor in the success of the team. The nose tackle position has been the most consistent position along the line due to Ryan Pickett's successful first half. As for the defensive ends, they have been nonexistent at times but when the rotation of B.J Raji, Cullen Jenkins and Johnny Jolly show up, they have been very solid.The Packers improved run defense is in large part due to the success of the line but in order for the Packers to make that jump they must get some sort of pass rush working in obvious passing situations.

Linebackers

The transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 has not come easy for the Packers this year, especially for the linebackers. The first half was not up to expectations for this revamped, Dom Capers led defense and most of the blame is shifting towards the linebackers and the play calling. As expected, Aaron Kampman has been seemingly lost in pass coverage and has been less effective in rushing the passer without his hand in the ground, these factors alone made him a commodity prior to the trade deadline. The Houdini act that A.J Hawk is playing with Packers fans is really puzzling as he will have games where he has 9 tackles then a week later he will only play 9 snaps. The spotty play of A.J Hawk has opened the way for a nice rotation at the inside linebacker position involving Nick Barnett, Hawk, Brandon Chillar and occasionally Desmond Bishop. Once again the solid run defense is in large part to the sideline to sideline abilities these athletes have and this should continue throughout the season. The best player amongst the linebackers has been rookie OLB Clay Matthews who seems to get better every snap he takes. After taking over the starting position during the Packers visit to the Metro Dome, he has been imposing his will on opposing running backs and quarterbacks. The continued improvement of Matthews along with the use of Aaron Kampman in a three point stance on obvious passing downs will hopefully create more pressure leading to more success, failing these things the Packers should BLITZ every so often.

Cornerbacks

The duo of Al Harris and Charles Woodson haven't exactly been showing their age, but they haven't been locking down either. The Dom Camper's defensive scheme is not something Al Harris is used to because it does not call for him to be physical at the line thus devaluing his play slightly. Charles Woodson on the other hand is playing up to his ability at this point in his career, which is still a very high level. The one aspect which puzzles me a lot is that Charles Woodson has not been called up to blitz as often as he should. In the preseason the Packers used many exotic blitz packages including using Woodson in many of them and we all know the success of the Packers defense in the preseason. As for the nickel position, I have been very impressed with the play of Tramon Williams. Quietly, Tramon is in on many plays and he rarely gets beat. As long as the Packers can generate a decent pass rush their secondary should be more then adequate.

Safeties

When healthy, Atari Bigby and Nick Collins make up a more then formidable duo, but healthy is the key word in that statement. Atari missed significant time earlier in the season opening up space to put in the revolving doors of Aaron Rouse (on the NY Giants now) and Darrick Martin and needless to say they lacked the skill to be regular NFL players. Nick Collins could miss some time after sustaining an injury in the Vikings game and that could spell trouble for the Packers. The run support from Atari Bigby is a strength as usual and when both are playing, they have not been the source of the problems. Once again the problems stem from the lack of pressure, bringing Atari up to the line for a few blitzes would not be a bad idea because he has shown proficiency at this in the past.

Upcoming Schedule

Our next game which is @ Tampa Bay should look very much like the Cleveland and Detroit games so nothing should be taken from that game. Dallas and San Fran coming to Lambeau have wild card implications and even though it is still fairly early, every game is important from here on. After that the Packers to Detroit for the Thanksgiving game which should be another cupcake. The hardest part of our season is Baltimore, @ Chicago and @ Pittsburgh where it would be ideal if we came out with two wins, these games will see if the Packers are a Playoff team. Then we finish with Seattle and across the country @ Arizona. The last two game will probably be must wins and the Packers may be in luck depending on how well Arizona does in the second half, they could see alot of back ups in a must win scenario.

Predicted Final Record- 10-6

Whether 10-6 will get us a playoff spot is yet to be seen.

Your Proverbial Conspiracy Theory...

2009-11-04T05:51:20Z

First off, let me preface this post by saying that I live in Green Bay and I have the privilege to go to many game at Lambeau Field. I have seen Brett Favre do some magical things and some bone-headed things (see 07 NFC championship game). However, as I watch this season unfold with him in purple viking gear, there appears to be empirical evidence that Favre may have been more valuable on so many levels to our young packers team than we thought.

In retrospect, 2007 appeared to be a complete mirage on many levels--Ryan Grant was the darling running back picked up off the NY Giant's scrap heap, our team was winning every close game, Greg Jennings was quickly becoming a star and TT/MM looked like geniuses. How the mighty have fallen so quickly...BUT, as much as it pains me to admit this--the man that made things possible during that dream run in the fall of 2007 was none other than BF.

Brett Favre seemed to be the only true veteran that, in my opinion, might have guided and held our young team accountable during TT's tenure and through the magical 07 season--as much as we blast Favre for how he exited GB or how aloof in the locker room he was, the numbers don't lie--we have sucked since he left and he is the only player of substance that has left our team. (Cullen Jenkins was injured much of last year so he would be a close second, all things being equal). Favre makes players around him better--that's a fact...players want to do their best around him and for him--that's a fact. I think Favre asked for his release in the spring of 2008 more so because he wanted to be on a team with established, savvy veterans and key free agents--players like the ones that he was used to winning with like Reggie White, Sean Jones & Keith Jackson--the Vikings fit that mold to a "T" and happened to play in our division. If Favre had to waste a year in NY to get to Minnesota it was worth it to him--the bonus was being able to stick it to TT when he did get to the Vikings. Perhaps in the spring of 2008 Favre knew how poor the discipline, work ethic or accountability was on the youngest team in the league--he was too old to wait around to find out if he was right or wrong--he didn't want to take that chance with a bunch of young punks who didn't know or care to know who Kitrich Taylor was. Perhaps he saw MM as more of an enabler willing to put up with a young team's gaffs, penalties and lack of accountability.

With us losing TWICE this year in less than stellar fashion to the Vikings, the Packers Players and coaches as human beings have to be wondering how Favre ended up doing them in like he did. TT made the right move to jettison BF to the Jets because he CORRECTLY knew what he had in Aaron Rodgers and we needed to take control of the franchise back. The gross miscalculation that TT failed to account for was the bitterness, spite and competitiveness that a player like Favre can harbor, nurture and then materialize into the ass-kicking that he laid on our Packer team TWICE this year. TT's worst nightmare has become reality this year--he wasn't beaten by Adrian Peterson, who is the best offensive player in the league according to some, he was beaten by the same quarterback that killed our Cinderella Superbowl team of 2007 that wasn't meant to be.

I'm not saying that Brett Favre was like Reggie White in that if you got a bone-head penalty he would be in your grill, but since he left our team has horrid discipline during games and seems very lethargic and nonchalant during big games. Jonny Jolly's penalty was horrible on so many levels--his excuse for it after the game was actual more horrible than the penalty itself! I never recall any coach almost losing a locker room while Brett Favre was here--but in seven games this year Mike McCarthy appears to be one bad loss away from losing the locker room--and ultimately his job.

Aaron Rodgers will do great things in his career I believe, but we are the youngest team in the league for the 4th consecutive year...now more than ever we are acting like it. A little veteran leadership can go a long way.

What to make of this team

2009-11-04T03:48:36Z

I'm sure most of you have read what Cullen Jenkins had to say after Sunday's game in which the defense gave up four passing touchdowns to Brett Favre and the Vikings. And I'm sure some of you have also read what ESPN.com NFC North Blogger Kevin Seifert makes of the situation. This defense is in trouble, right? Just look at the three games played against legit NFL Offenses, doesn't look that much different than last year, does it? Maybe we're just kidding ourselves that this can be a playoff team, specifically one that can hold a good NFL offense in check. Maybe this defense just isn't going to get it done.

Geez, but then look at the rankings. Our defense is in the top ten in both scoring and total defense. And so what if we only shut out Detroit. I mean Pittsburgh gave up twenty points to Detroit.

But now of all times, is when we could actually stand to listen to some advice of two brothers from Minnesota of all places. For those of you who saw the Coen Brothers' newest movie 'A Serious Man', perhaps you remember this quote on the screen just as the film started.

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you."

-Rashi

The problem with the Packer's season so far, is that we haven't really faced much league average competition. Of course thats bound to happen when league average teams are at such a premium at the moment. In the three wins against the cellar dwellers, the defense performed at or above expectations. In the three losses against what looks to be very good teams, the defense performed at or below expectations. There's really been so little to go on to formulate expectations for the rest of the year, not only for the defense but for the entire team, and thats what has been most frustrating for me so far this season.

I mean, I have as good a grasp on this team as I did opening day, which in short means not much.

I think because of this, this season, more than any other I've followed, I've been particularly antsy between games and that really gets frustrating. I've tried to teach myself not to put too much stock into the previous week's game in assessing our chances for the rest of the season, but due to the bipolar competitive nature of our opponents this year, even thats become hard. I almost want the Packers and the defense to have a statement game one way or the other just so I can get a grasp.

We don't know, we just don't know how good this defense or team can be. Seeing as the Coen Brothers' 'A Serious Man' is a 1960's retelling of the story of Job, all of us Packer fans could sure exhibit some patience, including myself.

Interviews with Bart Starr, Jan Stenerud, and Paul Krause up now at DN

2009-11-04T03:26:51Z

Hi everyone at ACP! Eric here, a co-writer for the Daily Norseman. I usually only venture to these parts to troll (kidding!), but I figured that you guys might be interested in the articles I've posted at the DN over the past couple days.

Thanks to SB Nation being involved with the Van Heusen and JCPenney Hall of Fame promotion, I had the incredible opportunity to interview three NFL Hall of Famers before the game on Sunday. I'm guessing you may have heard of a couple of them. Below are links to my interviews with Bart Starr, Jan Stenerud, and Paul Krause:

Stenerud: http://www.dailynorseman.com/2009/11/3/1113668/van-heusen-hall-of-fame-interview

Krause: http://www.dailynorseman.com/2009/11/3/1113732/van-heusen-hall-of-fame-interview

Starr: http://www.dailynorseman.com/2009/11/3/1113815/van-heusen-hall-of-fame-interview

I also gave a quick review of my debut at Lambeau Field yesterday. I even put a slide show at the end chronicling my experience. Let me tell you, it was nothing short of amazing. I quickly realized that we're getting jobbed on the total NFL experience here in Minneapolis! I mention this in the article, but I was refreshingly surprised at nearly all of my interactions with Packer fans. I know both our fan bases have a few bad apples that can really give us a bad name, but it was great to see the majority of "real" Packer fans in person on Sunday. I can't wait to visit again!

Ted Thompson for president....

2009-11-03T02:56:54Z

Of antartica he needs to go I'm not faulting him for getting rid of favre he had to go. It's the O-line I think he should be sent out on a rail for completely destroying a proud offensive line. I sat and watched another trade deadline go bye anxiously awaiting a trade for somebody. My dad said don't worry they'll fix it by week 8 apparently not what the hell are we doing. this general manager is gonna sit on his ass and watch aaron turn into david carr thanks ted you douche

Thanks, Packer Fans!

2009-11-03T01:47:30Z

I just wanted to thank all you guys at the Acme Packing Company for allowing me and a couple other guys to come over here and discuss things about yesterdays game without running us out of town on a rail. I appreciate you guys as fans, and appreciate a very interesting game yesterday! FYI to anyone who was aware of "The Bet", i got my diet mountain dew today, but bought my old band teacher lunch to show there were no hard feelings!! thanks again, all!

What was this 3-4 supposed to buy us again?

2009-11-03T01:27:09Z

I have an idea. After being schooled by Favre for like 95 minutes this year, with about 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and 3rd and 17, let's rush 3, cause Favre has proven he can't figure it out when we do. Wasn't this defense supposed to be the unpredictable, pressuring type that quarterbacks can't coexist with? When he was finally humiliated enough to pressure Favre, the next series, a 3 and out, Favre released a couple of quackers that could have been easily intercepted. It is just hard to fathom a scenario that allows the Favre legend to grow anymore than a defensive coordinator who just lets it happen. Our defense had nothing for Favre until being totally humiliated, and that is the fault of Capers.- The aforementioned 3 man rush was embarrassing and the results were predictable, as I moaned before the completion, which was followed up by a 50 yard td strike. Thompson is just stubborn, the O line will fix itself, cause he won't do anything about it, but the man power is there on the D. The coaching is lacking. Good thing we play so many terrible teams this year. We may still make the playoffs. Where we will 3 man rush ourselves into oblivion.